Foreign diplomats visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 August 2002, 15:58 GMT]Netherlands and German diplomats Wednesday visited Jaffna on a fact finding mission to assess the ground situation after the signing of the Cease-fire agreement between the United National Front government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. They met a group of leading representatives of the Jaffna District Humanitarian Agencies Consortium (JDHAC).

The Second Secretaries of Netherlands and German embassies in Sri Lanka Wednesday were briefed by the representatives of JDHAC of the difficulties undergoing by the displaced families in returning to their houses and lands in the high security zones. The discussion took place at the office of the JDHAC in Jaffna town.

JDHAC representatives told the visiting diplomats that normalcy has not returned in Jaffna district as the displaced have not been allowed by the Sri Lanka Army to resettle in their houses. The displaced families from Valikaamam north, Thenmaradchi, Chavakachcheri, Eluthumadduval and Naakarkovil areas are now living in welfare camps and with friends, even after the Cease-fire agreement came into force six months ago, diplomats were told.